“He’s obsessed using the keys, so we got another system, a remote (starter),” said Joyce Kitchen, the grandmother of Donte Kitchen, the boy who police say drove away in her vehicle, which he crashed along U.S. 31, north of M-120 around 4:30 p.m. Thursday.

Fortunately, no one was injured in the crash, police said.

The boy, who has cerebral palsy and other developmental disabilities, was visiting his grandparents’ home located in a subdivision near Apple Avenue and U.S. 31, when the incident occurred, Joyce Kitchen said.

Police said Donte drove the vehicle along U.S. 31 north and made it north of M-120 before he lost control and crashed the Toyota Camry into a stand of trees about 200 yards off the highway.

Before the crash, witnesses saw the boy driving the vehicle recklessly along the highway, police said, traveling about 80 to 90 miles per hour.

Joyce Kitchen, 58, said she was “relieved” no one was injured.

“I’m just so upset. Someone could have gotten hurt. I thank the Lord no one did,” she said.

Donte had managed to get the remote starter from her purse when his grandmother was gardening in the backyard, police said.

While she knew he was coming over Thursday, Joyce Kitchen said she had no idea her grandson had been dropped off at that time or she would have been prepared.

The remote starter is normally “locked up,” she said.

“We’re not negligent. We watch him like a hawk. I’m very capable of watching him,” she said. “We’ve been dealing with him and he got that one opportune time yesterday.”

Police said Thursday’s incident was not the first time the boy drove a vehicle and crashed. Donte was involved in car crashes on April 11, 2009, and Nov. 7, 2009, authorities said.

Joyce Kitchen said the family couldn’t have prepared for the first incident in April 2009 as they did not know at that time what the boy was capable of doing.

The second incident occurred when the family had a “gathering” and Donte waited until just the right time to jump in a vehicle and drive off again, she said.

Meanwhile, a sheriff’s deputy who handled Thursday’s incident said he would likely be passing the report on to Muskegon County Child Protective Services.

Donte’s mother, Kellie Kitchen, could not be reached for comment early Friday.

Muskegon County Sheriff Dean Roesler said Friday he would be reviewing the report. Roesler declined to comment on Thursday’s incident until he had a chance to read the report.

“It was just fortunate no one was injured,” he said.

When officers located the vehicle, Donte was still inside, not wearing a seat belt, trying to get the car in gear, playing with the radio and other buttons, police said. The vehicle was totaled, police said.

A ticket was not issued for Thursday’s incident, police said, because no one was injured and no other vehicles were damaged.